????聯合利華公司（Unilever）上周四宣布，同意以21.5億美元向日本的味滋康集團（Mizkan Group）出售旗下的Ragu和佰多力（Bertolli）品牌。

????聯合利華公司是多芬（Dove）和凡士林（Vaseline）等美容品牌的制造商。它至少從今年四月以來就一直在尋求出售北美的意大利面醬業務，當時這家公司進行了一項戰略審查來重新調整旗下食品資產的重心。

????“這筆交易代表了我們重塑自身的北美資產、從而提供可持續增長的最終步驟之一，” 聯合利華公司北美區總裁基斯?克魯特霍夫在一份聲明中稱。“（這筆出售交易）使我們能夠更好地聚焦于食品業務。”

????這家擁有英國和荷蘭雙重國家背景的消費品公司在去年出售了旗下的Wish-Bone沙拉醬和Skippy花生醬品牌，而且據報道一直在尋求出售旗下的Slim Fast業務。它保留了公司其他的一些食品業務，包括立頓（Lipton）和本杰里（Ben & Jerry）冰淇淋。聯合利華公司將保有Ragu和佰多力在歐洲的銷售權。

????Ragu和佰多力是美國銷量領先的意大利面醬，兩個品牌的年銷售額總計超過6億美元。這次出售的還包括位于肯塔基州歐文斯伯勒的一家加工及包裝廠，以及位于加利福尼亞州斯托克頓的一家番茄加工廠。

????本次收購將幫助歷史已經長達210年的調味品和調味料制造商味滋康集團繼續在日本以外市場的擴張。味滋康集團去年收購了英國食品品牌Sarson's、Haywards和Dufrais，還在2011年收購了美國的一家墨西哥胡椒加工廠Border Foods。(財富中文網)

????譯者：skins

????Unilever agreed to sell its Ragu and Bertolli brands for about $2.15 billion to Japan-based Mizkan Group, the company announced Thursday.

????Unilever, the maker of beauty brands such as Dove and Vaseline, has been looking to sell its North American pasta sauce business since at least April when the company conducted a strategic review that re-focused its food assets.

????"This sale represents one of the final steps in reshaping our portfolio in North America to deliver sustainable growth," Kees Kruythoff, president of Unilever North America, said in a statement. "And [the sale] enables us to sharpen our focus within our foods business."

????The British-Dutch consumer products company sold its Wish-Bone salad dressing and Skippy peanut butter brands last year and has reportedly been looking to divest its Slim Fast business, as well. It has held onto some of its other food businesses, including Lipton and Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Unilever will maintain the sales rights to Ragu and Bertolli in Europe.

????Ragu and Bertolli lead the pasta sauce category in the U.S., and the two brands have annual sales of more than $600 million. The sale also includes a sauce processing and packaging facility in Owensboro, Ky., and a tomato processing facility in Stockton, Calif.

????The purchase will help Mizkan, the 210-year-old maker of condiments and seasonings, continue its expansion beyond the Japanese market. Mizkan bought British food brands Sarson's, Haywards and Dufrais last year and U.S.-based Border Foods, a processor of jalapenos, in 2011.